What can we realistically expect from this serial ground of underperformers? It seems like every year we start off with big hopes and about halfway through the season we realise the team is useless and has no shot of achieving anything. Every year our FA signings fail to live up to the hype, and the next year we’re searching for more. We’ve signed Chris Conner and Garnet Exelby, both of which have NHL experience and should add stability and professionalism to our young squad.

I think we still lack offensive firepower, and the loss of leading point scorer Ilari Filppula will hurt. If Johnson and or Minard don’t return, which I believe will be the case; we have some glaring holes up front. On the back end we are stacked, with Fournier turning pro but unlikely to step straight in given his age and his shoulder issues. It seems every year our defence looks good on paper but never delivers, not even close. Lashoff needs to step up, Ehrhardt developed greatly last season and hopefully builds on that. Pyett has been brought back and really needs to be a 40 point guy and PP quarterback along with Smith. Speaking of which, he will be the leader on defence and will be asked to play 25 minutes a night. Up front I think Willie Coetzee needs more ice-time to fulfil his vast potential, and there are still question marks over whether Parks and Nestrasil will be in GR, possibly even Aubry, but from what I gather he will return to juniors.

With the likely line-up (at this stage) below, can we return to the playoffs? A lot will depend on the production of rookies Nyquist and Ferraro; should they perform there will be less pressure on guys like Tatar and Pare, who IMO, are more complimentary types, not out and out scorers.

This team is going to struggle to do anything other than be a bottom half team. Holland has done nothing to improve the team and I can't believe he's trying to pass over his NHL ideal of all skill no grit into the AHL and then fill the team with young rookies. That's a recipe for disaster.

The team has lost it's two highest scorers and not replaced them. The team has got rid of all its existing grit minus Amadio who apparently is being shopped around and replaced it with Callahan, a 5 foot 10 rookie fresh out of juniors.

So there will be even less scoring than last season, worse defense if Janik is up in the NHL as expected and they'll be getting run all game every game by the AHL goons because they're all small, young rookies with no one to back them up. Fantastic. I can't wait.

This team is going to struggle to do anything other than be a bottom half team. Holland has done nothing to improve the team and I can't believe he's trying to pass over his NHL ideal of all skill no grit into the AHL and then fill the team with young rookies. That's a recipe for disaster.

The team has lost it's two highest scorers and not replaced them. The team has got rid of all its existing grit minus Amadio who apparently is being shopped around and replaced it with Callahan, a 5 foot 10 rookie fresh out of juniors.

So there will be even less scoring than last season, worse defense if Janik is up in the NHL as expected and they'll be getting run all game every game by the AHL goons because they're all small, young rookies with no one to back them up. Fantastic. I can't wait.

With the losses of Filppula and Tardif, we’ll obviously be lacking offence. It looks like Johnson and Minard will both return, if they perform like they did last season, we’ll miss the playoffs, if they perform like they did in the years before they hit GR, we’ll return to the playoffs. I always find it funny how our GR signings never play to the levels they did before they arrived. This goes back a while too. Haydar, Williams, Newbury, and now Minard and Johnson. I really wonder why that is, especially when they seem to perform after moving on. Our system, our coaches, what??

We have some excellent rookies; Tatar, Andersson and Pare should all take further steps forward, but as is always the case with this team, we seem to start well and then fall into a hole. I'm not convinced Fraser is the man for the job, but the Wings seem to like him. He's always having awful line combinations and his teams seem to go long stretches without scoring/winning.

I think we should make the playoffs, but a lot will depend on the defence. If they're as woeful as they were last season we won't but if Lashoff improves and we have Janik for the whole season, we could go alright.

I agree that the problem with this team lies largely in the coaching staff. Looking at the talent that was wasted last year should be a testament to that fact. I'll still be at the games cheering them on, but I don't have very high expectations for this season.

I think the problem with this team lies a lot higher than the coaching staff...

Also feel sorry for Callahan. He's going to want to shout his mouth off all game every game but there's no one to protect him. He can't hide behind the instigator rule in this league because players/goons aren't bothered about the penalties.

I expect the playoffs. I don't expect much more, but the team is rounded enough to compete for a berth.

Nyquist and Tatar are ready to be the top two gunners.

Smith should become the guy that feeds them and improves the defense for a change.

"It is a lot easier to be an ******* to words than to people"-xkcd

Tootoo does NOT belong on this team. He is classless and I would rather see the Wings be bad than classless. I feel the same way about Bertuzzi as well, but he at least CAN make the team better. With Tootoo the team becomes worse and in danger of being classless. Would you have liked Claude on the team? Or Roy? No. So why would you be okay with that POS.

This thread has been closed due to emotions being higher than people's ability to read, interpret, and properly respond to simple posts.

we look like we have a very young team with 4 or 5 vets helping out. Should be a speedy team with lots of skill but lacking a touch of toughness. Exelby will help out Amadio at the back with grit, but up front we seem to be short. Callahan is a middle weight agitator we
dont have a heavy which may hurt us.Michael Pelech is on a try out, he can go with the big boys but isnt an out and out fighter.Its not
as if the Wings have anyone they can send down to GR either.Anyone know where Brandon Straub signed this year? Hopefully the fans will be entertained by a fast slick style of hockey, Johnson and Minard need to up the anti this year and support the likes of Tatar and Nyquist
and Pare. I think the dark horse this year in the scoring department is going to be Willie Coetzee.
Good luck Griffs

I agree that the problem with this team lies largely in the coaching staff. Looking at the talent that was wasted last year should be a testament to that fact. I'll still be at the games cheering them on, but I don't have very high expectations for this season.

I have to agree with this. So far, this coaching staff really hasn't shown me much. Even when they had good talent, the coaching staff isn't able to get much out of them. IMHO, if your coaching staff isn't leveraging the talent of the team, its time to get rid of the coach. I have been a season ticket holder for the last couple years and this year I didn't renew. The crappy play of this team really did grate on me. I will still go to some of the games, but I won't spend $500 plus again on season tickets. Especially when I see the effort on the ice and wonder why there is no consistency.

I am hoping for a return to playoffs this year, but I am not holding my breath.

This team is going to struggle to do anything other than be a bottom half team. Holland has done nothing to improve the team and I can't believe he's trying to pass over his NHL ideal of all skill no grit into the AHL and then fill the team with young rookies. That's a recipe for disaster.

Yup, this team is a bottom rung team. Some are blaming the players, but I think the coaching staff has a lot to do with it too. Either way, I am glad I didn't renew my season tickets this year. Every game I have been to has been a loss. Depressing.